Fluid cooling apparatus and method



Sept. 8, 1942- G. M. KLEUCKER FLUID COOLING APPARATUS AND METHOD I Filed March 24, 1959 INVENTOR F 6 GEORGE M KLEUCKER ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 8, 1942 George M.-Kleucker, St. Louis, Mo., assignor, by mesne assignments, to William P. Gruner, St.

Louis, Mo.

Application March 24, 1939, Serial No. 263,863

8 Claims.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in fluid cooling apparatus and methods.

My invention has for a primary object the provision of fluid cooling apparatus which is economical in construction, operation, and maintenance, and capable of extremely high surface and refrigerating efficiency hitherto thought unobtainable. v Y

My invention also has for another object the provision of a method of refrigeration and cooling which makes possible the achievement of heat exchange efficiencies far in excess of. anything hitherto thought obtainable, which makes possible material simplification of apparatusand other associated equipment with resultant economies in original investment as well as operation and maintenance, and which is effective and sanitary in the refrigeration and cooling of fluids generally.

And with the above and other objects in view, my invention resides in the novel features of form, construction, arrangement, and combination of parts presently described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is an elevational view, partly broken away and in section, of a fluid cooling apparatus constructed in accordance with and embodying my invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the apparatus, taken approximately along the line 2--2, Figure 1; l

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view of the apparatus, taken approximately along the. line 33, Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a modified form of flfuidcooling apparatus embodyingf my inventioriy' H Figures 5 and 6 are enlargedfragmentary'sectional views of thefmodifiedcooling. apparatus; and r p Figure 7 is a transverse sectional view of the modified cooling apparatus, taken approximately along the line 1-1, Figure 5;

Referring now in more'detail and by reference characters to the drawing, which illustrates prac- 5, 6, the sections 2, 3, and wall or partition 8 being welded or otherwise secured together in gas-tight manner in the formation of upper and lower chambers I, 8, as best seen in Figure 2.

Mounted in and extending through the upper horizontal wall of the chamber I, is a plurality of spaced parallel heat exchange tubes 9, each, as itmay be said, being substantially of inverted U-s'hape and including a pair of parallel legs l0, ll, integrally connected at their upper end by a U-shaped' or so-called hairpin bend l2. Extending concentrically through each of the cooler tube legs I ll, II, is a feeder tube or pipe l3 at or adjacent its lower end rigidly mounted in and extending downwardly through the partition 4 for communication with the-chamber 8 and at its upper end sealed off, as at M, and bent over'and engaged with the wall of its enclosing tube-leg in the formation of a supporting and spacing member l5, all as best seen in Figure 2.

Fixed in and extending radially through the side wall of each of the feeder tubes l3kadjacent its upper sealed-off extremity, is a so-called tubular swirler 16 having communication at its one or'inner end with the interior of the feeder pipe 13 and curving outwardly therefrom toward, and at its outer or nozzle-like end being substantially tangent to, the outer wall of the particular tube-leg H], H, as the case may be, all as best seenin Figure 3 and for purposes presently more fully appearing.

Mounted in and extending through the shell end wall 6 preferably for communication with the lower chamber 8, is a refrigerant feed line I1,- and similarly mounted in and extending through the opposite shell end wall 5 preferably for communication with the upper chamber 1, is a refrigtical embodiments of my invention, the appar' lfi lfi which is adaptedv more particularly for u in cooling gases and most specifically suited forf'air conditioning systems, comprises an elongated rectilinear shell I constructed preferably of two opposed companion channel iron sections 2J3, separated by a fiat horizontal partition 4 and provided preferably integrally with end walls erant returnor suction line l8. n

In operation, the liquid refrigerant is flooded into the lower chamber 8' through the supply line ll from any conventional means, rising underv pressure through the several feeder pipes l3, and issuing from the bent tubes or swirlers It as a liquid jet havinghigh velocity and impinging tangentially against the inner faces of therespective cooler tube-legs H), H. As a result of the combined effects of its tangential direction, its high velocity, and the force of gravity, the liquid refrigerant .will have a direction and velocity, which is the resultant of such component forces, and will move rapidly downward as a cylindrical sheet or film of refrigerant over the inner face of the respective cooler tube-legs H), ll,

leaving an uninterrupted annular free space, as "at s, between the inner surface of the refrigerant .which it is associated.

film and the outer surface of the respective feeder pipes I3. Due to the velocity and massof the liquid refrigerant flowing as a rapidly moving sheet, gas bubbles are sheared off at inception and discharged through this liquid refrigerant sheet into the free annular gas space s, which is of relatively large volume, and thence into the chamber 1.

The chamber I being connected through the pipe l8 to the suction or low-side" of the re-' frigerating system, the chamber I and the associated cooler tube-legs I0, I I, will be under relatively reduced or so-called back or-suction pressure. The bubbles formed atthe heat exchange surface will be immediately sheared oil. by the moving filrm and discharged into the free space 8 with the production of a highly efficient cooling effect. The gaseous refrigerant thus formed will be continuously exhausted from the free space s through the chamber 1 without producing any substantial ebullition or otherwise disturbing the sheet-like continuity, velocity, and direction of movement of the cylindrical refrigerant films. Through the suction line l8, .both excess liquid and gas are returned to a conventional collecting vessel (not shown), in which the evaporated refrigerant is taken off at the top to the suction of the compressor and the liquid refrigerant separated out. By'means of a conventional float control device (not shown), a predetermined liquid level is maintained in this vessel. Pump circulating means (not shown) continuously circulates liquid refrigerant to the discharge header or chamber 8, so that the -unevaporated excess liquid refrigerant returns from the suction header or chamber 1, thus repeating the cycle of recirculation.

Figure 4 illustrates a modified form of cooler of my invention peculiarly suited for use in air conditioning and air cooling systems. Such form of the cooler includes upper and lower parallel headers 20 20', preferably of elongated hemlcylindrical form having horizontal tube sheets 2 I, 2|, and welded at their opposite ends in and extending longitudinally between the tube sheets 2|, 2|, is a plurality of spaced parallel heat exchange tubes 22, as best seen in Figure 4.

At its upper end, each of the cooler tubes 22 projects a short distance above the tube sheet 2| and is provided in its upper end with a preferably hollow cylindrical sheet metal plug member or closure-forming element 23 having a radial flange 24 along which it is suitably-fastened to the upper peripheral margin of the tube 22 with Extending vertically through, and welded or otherwise fixed in, the plug member 23, is a tube or swirler 25 at its upper end projecting somewhat beyond the upper face of the plug 23 and being preferably of slightly reduced diameter and at its lower end extending downwardly beyond the lower face of the plug 23 and being bent at right angles and from in a tangential jet of high velocity, thereby preferably curved outwardly across the center of the plug 23 and into tangential engagement with the inner wall of the heat exchange tube 22, all as best seen in Figures 5 and 6 and for purposes presently more fully appearing.

The upper header pipe 20 is conventionally provided with a refrigerant supply pipe 28 and the lower header 2|! is similarly provided with a combined excess refrigerant return and suction line 21.

Accordingly, liquid refrigerant is flooded into the header 20 under pressure and will flow downwardly through the swirler 2i and issue therefilm. The interior of the cooler tubes 22 and the lower header 2| being connected through the suction pipe 21 to the low-side of the refrigerating system, the film will evaporate into the free space within the cooler tubes 22, with the production of a highly efllcient cooling effect in substantially the same manner and under substantially the same conditions as above described.

It will, of course, be evident that both of the heatexchangers A and B may be readily mounted in the conventional type ofblower tunnel or duct (not shown) usually employed in air conditioning systems in such a manner that the air to be cooled will be forced to pass between and around the heat exchange tubes.

It should be understood that changes and modifications in the form, construction, arrangement, and combination of the apparatus may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without departing from the nature and principle of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A cooler comprising a shell having an inner partition for dividing the shell into first and second separate compartments, means for supplying liquid refrigerant to the first compartment, a cooler tube operably mounted on the shell for communication with the second compartment, a feeder tube operably mounted in the partition for communication at its one end with the first compartment, said feeder tube being of substantially smaller diameter than, and projecting into, the cooler tube, and means operably mounted on the other end of the feeder tube for tangentially directing liquid refrigerant upon the inner surface of the cooler tube.

2. A cooler comprising a shell having an inner partition for dividing the shell into first and second separate compartments. means for supplying liquid refrigerant to the flrstcompartment, a cooler tube operably mounted on the shell for communication with the second compartment, a feeder tube operably mounted in the partition for communication at its one end with the first compartment, said feeder tube being of substantially smaller diameter than, and projecting into, the cooler tube, and a bent tube mounted in the feeder tube for communication at its one endwith the interior of the feeder tube and extending outwardly therefrom into abutment with the inner surface of the cooler tube for applying liquid refrigerant to the inner surface of the cooler tube in the form of a tangential jet.

3. A cooler comprising an upper header, a lower header, means for supplying and maintaining a vaporizable refrigerant under substantial pressure to the header, a cooler tube operably mounted at its ends in and extending longitudinally between said headers for communication at its one end with one of said headers and at its other end being provided with an imperforate plug, and a bent tube operably mounted in and I thereof a swirling velocity resulting from the jet energy of the refrigerant.

4. A cooler comprising a first header, a second header, means for supplying and maintaining a vaporizable refrigerant under substantial pressure to the header, a heat exchanger tube mounted at its opposite ends in and extending longitudinally between said headers, said tube at its one end communicating with the second header and at its other end being provided with a closure-element, means for introducing liquid refrigerant into the first header, and a bent tube mounted in said closure-element and having a hook-like jet-forming nozzle portion for conducting liquid refrigerant from the first header through said closure-element and having an opening disposed in a plane approximately radial to the surface of the heat exchanger tube for impinging said liquid refrigerant tangentially upon the inner surface of the heat exchanger tube in the provision of an inlet jet adapted to cover the interior of the cooler tube with a substantially continuous swirling film of refrigerant and impart to such film in the formation thereof a swirling velocity resultingfrom the jet energy of the refrigerant.

5. A cooler comprising an elongated shell having an inner partition dividing said shell into I two separate compartments, a plurality of heat exchange tubes having the shape of an inverted U operably mounted on the shell for communicationwith one of said compartments, a feeder tube mounted axially in each leg of each of said heat exchange tubes for communication with the other compartment, and means operably associated with the feeder tube for introducing liquid refrigerant upon the inner surface of the tubeleg with which it is associated.

6. A cooler comprising an elongated shell having an inner partition dividing said. shell into two separate compartments, a plurality of heat exchange tubes having the shape of an inverted U operably mounted on the shell for communication with one of said compartments, a feeder operably mounted in the partition for communication at its one end with the other compartment, each of said feeders being of substantially smaller diameter than, and projecting into, the

heat exchange tubes, and means operably mounted on the other end of each feeder for directing liquid refrigerant upon the inner surface of each heat exchange tube.

7. A cooler comprising an elongated shell having an inner partition dividing said shell .into

two separate compartments, a plurality of heat exchange tubes of an inverted U shape and having two legs connected by a reverse bend,

said tubes being operably mounted on the shell for communication with one of said compartments, a feeder tube operably mounted in the partition and extending into each of said tubelegs for communication at its one end with the other compartment, each of said feeder tubes being of substantially smaller diameter than the heat exchange tubes, and a bent tube mounted in each feeder tube for communication at its one end with the interior of the feeder tube and extending outwardly therefrom into abutment with the inner surface of the corresponding tube leg for applying liquid refrigerant to the inner surface thereof in the form of a tangentialjet.

8. A cooler comprising an upper hemicylindrical header, a lower hemicylindrical header, a

plurality of spaced parallel heat exchange tubes operably mounted at the ends in and extending longitudinally between said headers for communication at one end with one of said headers and each at its other end being provided with a closure-element, and a bent tube operably mounted in and extending through each of said closure-elements for communication at its one end with the other header, each of said bent tubes at its other end being disposed in substantial abutment with the inner face of its associated heat exchange tube and communicating at said end with the interior of such heat exchange tube.

GEORGE M. KLEUCKER. 

